MXA Look back at 1981 -- Gear prices were crazy!

mark_swart
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mark_swart
Edited Date/Time 1/12/2014 2:29pm
http://www.motocrossactionmag.com/Main/News/MOTOCROSS-ACTION-CLASSICS-JULY-1981-ISSUE--3960.aspx

I just read this look back at 1981 that MXA posted on their website -- what really struck me was the pricing for gear. Sure these are MSRP prices, but pants were going for $95-110, gloves $30 and jerseys for $16. It just seems funny to me that in a time when big bikes were probably $1500-$2000, that the gear was almost as pricey as it is now.

I guess now I understand why I only had one pare of motocross pants when I was younger!

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CamP
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CamP 12/6/2013 11:31am
12/6/2013 11:31am
I had a set of those red/white/blue Hallman pants back in 1980. I think I paid $90, which in today's money is $255. I guess the Finns paid their workers more than a bowl of rice a day to make pants.
MT MX
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MT MX 12/6/2013 12:27pm
12/6/2013 12:27pm Edited Date/Time 12/6/2013 12:32pm
Part of it was due to the lack of mass production, like everything is done today.
Also, back then pants had considerable amounts of leather, not kevlar or any other synthetic material.
I think I know what you're saying though. My first pair of O'neal ultra-light pants back in the mid-1980's were about 80 bucks (I think). Shit now I have I bet a dozen pair of pants laying around my garage
DoctorJD
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DoctorJD 12/6/2013 12:38pm
12/6/2013 12:38pm
I know it was a long time ago (1978), but I remember paying close to $200 for my first pair of JT "Un-Leathers". They were nylon on the front of the legs, and full-leather on the butt and back of legs. I had all of the (optional) JT logo's sewn in on the legs and butt, so that may have had something to do with the high price
north311
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north311 12/6/2013 7:23pm
12/6/2013 7:23pm
thank god for china and korea haha

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mark_swart
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mark_swart 12/7/2013 10:58am
12/7/2013 10:58am
north311 wrote:
thank god for china and korea haha
Funny you bring that up... and I guess if you tie in globalism, the fact that the dollar has devalued to the yen and euro probably has more than anything to do with the disproportionate rise in bike prices, whereas the cheap labor and trade in emerging nations lower the prices on the gear.
Wandell
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Wandell 12/7/2013 8:34pm
12/7/2013 8:34pm
I had that issue as a kid. The gear prices were crazy! I just paid less for a complete set of Fly gear than what one pair of those Hallman pants cost!
wpark89
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wpark89 12/8/2013 8:40am
12/8/2013 8:40am
The old gear was expensive for the time...but those Finnish pants would last forever. I bet back then you'd get at least a full season or two out of a pair of pants and some of the stuff out now won't last a month. None of the companies had a "cheap" line then.....everything was built to be high quality. I miss the days of seeing the Finnish flag on the ankle cuffs of my pants...wish I could buy new late 80's Sinisalo SCD gear!
jtracing6
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jtracing6 12/8/2013 10:34am
12/8/2013 10:34am
Gear prices were crazy and so were wages!
TX24
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TX24 12/9/2013 10:29am
12/9/2013 10:29am
Gloves is what gets me. Even though they were leather, JT gloves in 1977 were about $30.
mark_swart
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mark_swart 12/9/2013 12:07pm
12/9/2013 12:07pm
Do you remember how the real leather gloves always felt sort of slimy? Ick. I'm very happy that synthetics were pretty much in by the time I got into racing (87)! Had sweet Sinisalo in '87, Answer in 88-89 and then Fox zebra gear!

As for new pants, my O'Neal Hardwear have held up really well.
mxnick
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mxnick 12/10/2013 8:53pm
12/10/2013 8:53pm
Yea, I have sometimes thought about how pants, jersey and glove prices have pretty much stayed the same. Helmet and boot prices for top of the line stuff have jumped up with the times, but those other items have remained close. Good find.
CR500Rider
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CR500Rider 12/11/2013 4:34pm
12/11/2013 4:34pm
I've said it for years, you can outfit yourself today in decent gear cheaper than you could in 1983.
#33
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#33 1/12/2014 2:29pm
1/12/2014 2:29pm
my profile pic shows remnants of racing AMA District 11 (Southeastern Ohio). I wore those Gaerne's forever, had'um re-soled twice. No protection but damn comfortable. Finally broke down and bought the latest greatest Tech 8's sometime in the 90's. I ended up crushing my left foot at Honda Hills and had to hang it up. I was 44. I miss racing, I'll be 60 this year.
Hey CR500Rider, I had the '87 CR500 too, awesome bike! I remember the MXA test finishing up by saying; "if you've ever wanted to own and race a works bike, this is your bike!!" Paid $2200 for it at the old Honda shop in Heath.

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